The present invention is related to trays for holding fishing equipment, and in particular, to a tray attachable to boat seats for holding fishing equipment.
Keeping fishing equipment neatly arranged and readily accessable has long been a problem for fishermen. On commercial vessels it is absolutely essential that all fishing equipment, lines and the like be neatly positioned and easily accessable if the commercial fishing vessel is going to compete successfully with other vessels. Furthermore, it is necessary that fishing equipment and gear be stored in such a manner that it will not endanger the fishermen by exposing the fisherman to hooks or other items which can cause injury.
In recent times sport fishermen have begun to widely use, especially in the United States, a type of sport fishing boat which is commonly referred to as a "Bass Boat". Such vessels may be made of fiber glass or aluminum and commonly have seats which are mounted on vertical predestals attached to the deck of the boat. The seats allow the fisherman to sit comfortably in a normal position in the boat much as he would in a common household or a dining room chair, and also swivel around in a circle.
While such seats are very comfortable and allow the fisherman to swivel the seat from one position to the other, a common problem faced by such fishermen is access to fishing gear such as fishing lures, pliers, knives, and the like which are commonly placed on the bottom of the boat, usually in a box referred to as a "tackle box".
Thus, for a fisherman to reach his tackle box, he must either get out of the predestal chair or bend down from the chair to the floor of the boat in an attempt to reach the box. Such a bending motion, or actually the getting out of the pedestal chair, is inconvenient for the fisherman and is time consuming.
It is quite common for the fresh water fisherman to change baits many times in the course of a fishing trip. During such bait changes it is frequently necessary that the fisherman have access to pliers and fishing baits contained in the tackle box.
In fishing tournaments where the fisherman is given a fixed period of time to catch the largest number of fish in order to win valuable prizes, it is essential that the fisherman has immediate access to his fishing lures and other equipment. Some fishermen, who are in a hurry due to the pressure of the tournment or the excitement of a large school of fish, will drop lures with hooks therein on the floor of the boat along with other fishing gear. Such baits and gear can cause injury to the fisherman if he forgets and steps on the gear while reaching for other equipment after leaving his seat. A fisherman may slip on such fishing gear on the floor and fall overboard or he may cut his foot on knives or stick hooks into his feet.
Thus there is need for an apparatus which will place the fisherman's essential gear in a position so that he does not have to bend over or get out of his fishing seat in order to utilize such equipment.